shotgun reloading

[Redgum]

I was given a Redding shotgun press a few months back by my father, I did try to sell it but had no offers and decided to keep it. Along with the press came 20 kilos of 7 shot, its was sitting in my shed gathering dust when the chap I get my reloader 22 off asked if he knew anyone who would take a kilo of red dot and half a kilo of green dot as he was having a clear out. Well I grab the offer cos it was very,very cheap.

Now my question is, the Redding press has a sizing die which stays on the cartridge through the operation, it looks like its for 2 and a half inch cases. I wont know until I have put a few together but how do I know what size fibre wad to use, is it trial and error until you get it the right size for the crimp. How much pressure do you put on the wad and does it need a nitro patch beneath it.

Yes, I know what your going to say but I have ordered a book on shotshell reloading but am inpatient, so much so I packed a case with rice to check the crimp. The plastic below the crimp bulged out, thus the 2 and a half inch case theory( thats what I loaded with it many moons ago as a kid). The wad rod is adjustable so I can set it to the correct depth but at what pressure on the powder. I know that reloading 12 gauge isnt as cheap as buying but with the 20kg of lead and cheap powder I reckon I can do nearly 700 for around 4 pence each.

[sitsinhedges]

I was given a Redding shotgun press a few months back by my father, I did try to sell it but had no offers and decided to keep it. Along with the press came 20 kilos of 7 shot, its was sitting in my shed gathering dust when the chap I get my reloader 22 off asked if he knew anyone who would take a kilo of red dot and half a kilo of green dot as he was having a clear out. Well I grab the offer cos it was very,very cheap.

Now my question is, the Redding press has a sizing die which stays on the cartridge through the operation, it looks like its for 2 and a half inch cases. I wont know until I have put a few together but how do I know what size fibre wad to use, is it trial and error until you get it the right size for the crimp. How much pressure do you put on the wad and does it need a nitro patch beneath it.

Yes, I know what your going to say but I have ordered a book on shotshell reloading but am inpatient, so much so I packed a case with rice to check the crimp. The plastic below the crimp bulged out, thus the 2 and a half inch case theory( thats what I loaded with it many moons ago as a kid). The wad rod is adjustable so I can set it to the correct depth but at what pressure on the powder. I know that reloading 12 gauge isnt as cheap as buying but with the 20kg of lead and cheap powder I reckon I can do nearly 700 for around 4 pence each.

 

Forget about wad pressures, just do what ever gets the best crimp and everything else will fall into place. I always use a nitro card or plastic obturator in front of the powder

[Redgum]

so when you push the wad home do you just stop when you feel it on the powder or give a firm push?

[Floating Chamber]

so when you push the wad home do you just stop when you feel it on the powder or give a firm push?

 

Answer thse questions for me:

 

Is the Redding a Model 16?

 

Is it a square bar type with a brown crackle finish?

 

Is the Redding a Model 16 (Green) with a ROUND bar?

 

Is the Redding a Model 32 with a Round bar and rotating Turret?

[seeker]

As sitsinhedges says ... so enough pressure to get it onto they powder with no airspace but not compressing the wad .. if that makes sense?

[Redgum]

Answer thse questions for me:

 

Is the Redding a Model 16?

 

Is it a square bar type with a brown crackle finish?

 

Is the Redding a Model 16 (Green) with a ROUND bar?

 

Is the Redding a Model 32 with a Round bar and rotating Turret?

 

Its the green model with round bar, I only have the charge and powder bushings that came with it, the old chap has some more in the house somewhere but cant put is hands on em. Redding no longer do the bushings for em, what I will have to do is weigh a charge of powder and a charge of shot to see what I have got. May play around with making some differant ones out of machined alley and filing down to fit the round bar. The old chap gave me an old tin of powder, dupont I think, the loads we used to load were pigeon loads so should be able to use existing bushings when I have the correct data.

[mikee]

your best bet would be to find someone local who reloads already to give you a fwe hours of his time showing you the ropes,

 

get some over powder cards from clay and game, and some wads, if you get longer than you need you can slice them down to length, dont need a card under the shot unless it helps to give the correct column height which is the route to good crimps, it doesnt hurt to put a little pressure on the wad about 10psi is ok for lead shot loads it helps to consolidate the powder to get an efficient burn.

 

always stick to load data as published, never substitute components, well not until you have a bit of understanding of how and what you are doing and never use any powder or primers that dont come in their original packet , there are loads of thumbless home loaders out there who took risks or didnt understand what they were doing

 

good luck and enjoy but most of all be safe

 

mikee

[Floating Chamber]

Its the green model with round bar, I only have the charge and powder bushings that came with it, the old chap has some more in the house somewhere but cant put is hands on em. Redding no longer do the bushings for em, what I will have to do is weigh a charge of powder and a charge of shot to see what I have got. May play around with making some differant ones out of machined alley and filing down to fit the round bar. The old chap gave me an old tin of powder, dupont I think, the loads we used to load were pigeon loads so should be able to use existing bushings when I have the correct data.

 

pm me. I have spares I don't need. Free to you.

[Redgum]

Have pm'd you floating chamber.